Harvest Creamy Corn Soup

Popcorn on soup? Yes! Better than crackers!


This is a tasty almost-veggie soup. It does have a little bit of bacon in it.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 cups corn
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 pound small potatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper , chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 t dried thyme
• 1 t paprika
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Popcorn or crackers

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until slightly crisp.

2. Add onions, corn, zucchini, potatoes, bell pepper, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the veggies start to soften.

3. Sprinkle flour into pot. Stir and cook 1 minute.

4. Add the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let the sauce thicken.

5. Add the cream, parsley, and hot sauce and simmer 5 more minutes.

6. Serve with crackers or popcorn.

Waldorf Burger

This is the twenty seventh burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.


Yummy! The walnuts and cherries on this are really great. I was a tad bit skeptical when I first saw it, but when I tasted it I was sold!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• Blue cheese, to taste
• 2 T dried cherries
• 2 T toasted walnuts
• Lettuce
• 4 slices red onion
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with lettuce, cherries and walnuts. Add patties, followed by red onion. Slather top buns with Dijon and serve.

Gypsy Burger

This is the twenty sixth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.


This is one of my favorite burgers. The cold crispiness of the cucumbers, along with the ranch dressing, really works well with the red onion and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices peppered bacon, cooked
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 4 slices red onion
• 4 slices tomato
• 2 T Ranch dressing
• Shaved Parmesan cheese
• Sliced Mozzarella cheese

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add mozzarella cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, slather bottom buns with dressing. Add onion, tomato, and cucumber. Add patties, bacon, and Parmesan cheese. Add top buns and enjoy!

Steak Fajitas

I can't believe I've never made steak fajitas. I did make some chicken fajitas from a different recipe a while back, and they were quite good. I hadn't even really thought about making them again until the other day, when I was in the grill section of our local grocery store. They had cast iron servers on sale for about $6 a piece. They are normally as much as $15, I think. So I grabbed a few servers, some meat, some fresh veggies, went home and made these great fajitas!

If you don't like your veggies big and crunchy like we do, just cut them a bit thinner. They'll soften up just fine for ya!


The best part of this recipe is the marinade for the meat. It was very, very tasty. We used beef, but you can use chicken, or even shrimp. Just make sure to adjust the marinating time - 15 minutes for shrimp, and 20 minutes for chicken.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t onion powder
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas

For the topping:

• 1 lime, juiced
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper into a large resealable bag. Add the meat and toss to coat. Place in fridge and marinate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill meat until cooked to medium-rare, about 3-5 minutes per side. (Cook chicken until juices run clear, 5 minutes per side, and shrimp about 2 minutes per side until opaque). Let meat rest at least 10 minutes.

4. In a large skillet heat up remaining oil and fry the onions and peppers until crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Wrap tortillas in foil and put in oven with the cast iron servers for 15 minutes.

6. Slice meat thin and place on servers along with peppers and onion. Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings.

Pioneer Burger

This is the twenty fifth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.


This is a crazy good burger, specially if you love mushrooms like we do. I couldn't find fresh rosemary the day we made these, so I had to leave it off. I'm sure these burgers would've been even better with it!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 oz wild mushrooms, sauteed
  
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked
• 2 T garlic aioli (see below)
• Lettuce
• 2 Hamburger buns
• Fresh rosemary
  

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, slather bottom buns with aioli and add lettuce. Next, add the patties, followed by the mushrooms, bacon, and top buns. Garnish with rosemary.

Garlic Aioli

Note: This recipe requires a raw egg. If you are averse to using a raw egg, you can omit it but the recipe will not turn out as good.

Makes: 1/2 cup
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Place all but the oil into a blender and puree. Slowly drizzle in the oil with the blender running and process until it has formed a thick emulsion.

Sweet Spiced Nuts

These nuts are really good. A nice mix of sweet with just a hint of heat. I used a bag of mixed nuts that I picked up at the grocery store a few weeks back when they were on sale.


The original recipe comes from the Food Network Magazine.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2/3 cup sugar (can use Splenda)
• 1 t pumpkin spice
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1 lb mixed nuts (unsalted)
• 1/4 t Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 275°.

2. Place the egg white in a large bowl. Whisk until frothy.

3. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne pepper.

4. Add nuts to egg and mix well. Stir in the spice mixture and add the Worcestershire sauce.

5. Spread nuts out on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

6. Bake until golden brown, at least 30 minutes. Let cool. Break into smaller pieces and serve.

Chili for Hot Dogs or Burgers

This is my go-to sauce for dogs and burgers. It is great. Even fantastic. I tend to use a little too much of it sometimes, but I can't help myself.



I found this in The Real Chili Cookbook by Marjie Lambert. I found a copy at the Exit 76 Antique Mall for $3.50. Besides this recipe, I've made 5 or 6 of the chili recipes from the book and all have been fantastic. It's one of the best finds I've made!

I tend to not chop my onions as fine as the recipe calls for. I like them a little chunkier.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small white onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can enchilada sauce (I use La Victoria)
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t marjoram

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.

2. Drain the fat. Add the remaining ingredients plus fill the enchilada sauce can halfway with water and add that also.

3. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.

Mona Lisa Burger

It's a masterpiece that'd make Leonardo da Vinci drool!


This is the twenty fourth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. This is one seriously good burger. We loved the flavors on this burger. Really, really outstanding!

The original recipe calls for Gorgonzola. Due to some bizarre misalignment of the planets, I only had Muenster on hand, so I used that instead.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 T sundried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olives, sliced
• 4 slices pancetta (or bacon, cooked)
• 4 slices red onion
• 1/4 cup arugula
• 2 T garlic mayonnaise (see below)
• 2 Ciabatta buns (or bread)

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, place arugula and sundried tomatoes on bottom buns. Add patties. Top with pancetta, red onions and olives. Slather top buns with the garlic mayo and enjoy!

Garlic Mayonnaise

Makes: 1 cup
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced then crushed into a paste
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 t salt

1. Combine all ingredients and whisk well.

Hot Brat Sliders

I ran across this recipe in the September 2010 issue of Chile Pepper magazine.


The best part about these (other than being great for gameday) is the beer sauce. It's really good. And the sauteed onions rock too!

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 uncooked bratwurst links
• 4 hard mini rolls, sliced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 1 t sugar
• 2 cups beers (use a full-flavored beer)
• 1 T brown mustard
• 1 t hot sauce (or more)
• mayonnaise and ketchup, as desired

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions and cook 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the red vine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and cook 4-6 minutes more, until the onions are browned.

3. Remove onions and add beer to skillet.

4. Poke several small holes in the bratwurst and add to skillet. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, turning often.

5. Remove brats and cut in halves. Place on preheated hot grill and cook 2-3 minutes per side until done. Place the buns on the grill and toast lightly.

6. Bring beer mixture that was left in the skillet to a boil then reduce to a simmer and add the mustard and hot sauce. Reduce until thickened.

7. To assemble brats, top each bun bottom with mayo and ketchup. Add split (and cut) brats, and top with the onions and beer sauce. Place a little mayo on the top buns. Enjoy!

Boss Burger

This is the twenty third burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. They keep getting better and better! The olive tapenade on this burger puts it way, way over the top!


It's a cheeseburger that can get the job done!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices prosciutto (substitute cooked bacon)
• 2 slices asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup arugula
• 4 thin slices red onion
• 2 slices tomato
• 2 hamburger buns
• 2 T olive tapenade (see below)
• 4 basil leaves

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, place arugula, basil, tomato, and red onions on bottom buns. Add patties and prosciutto. Slather top buns with the tapenade and enjoy!

Olive Tapenade

This tapenade is also great on crostinis, or in pasta, or as a substitute for mayo on sandwiches.

Makes: 2 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced and pressed into a paste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cucumber Salad

This is a very easy cucumber salad to make. Different than the creamy cucumber salad we normally make, and maybe even better.


Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 24 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 medium cucumbers, cut into 1/4"-1/2" slices
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 8 oz Paul Newman's olive oil and vinegar dressing
• 1 t dry dill weed
• 1/2 t dry parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Fried Green Tomatoes

A friend of mine brought over some green tomatoes out of his garden. Anita immediately requested fried green tomatoes. Who am I to say no?


The original recipe came from the Neely's. Now, I can't say I'm a fan of any of their TV shows, but they do make some good eats. We had some of the dipping sauce for the tomatoes left over, so we used it for dipping onion rings the next night.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large green onions, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 cup flour
• 1 T garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 T milk
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t paprika pepper
• Dipping sauce (see below)
• Oil for frying

1. Preheat Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F.

2. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange 3 bowls in a row. In the first bowl place the flour and garlic powder and mix. In the second bowl beat the eggs with the milk. In the last bowl mix the panko, cayenne and paprika.

4. Dredge tomatoes thru flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip into the egg mixture and coat completely. Roll in bread crumbs then place in fryer. Cook 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove to paper towel-lined plate.

5. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Makes: 3 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider (can substitute apple juice)
• 1 T brown sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 T BBQ sauce (I used Spice Wine Ironworks)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 green onions, sliced thin

1. Combine the cider and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayo, BBQ sauce, and lime juice. Whisk well. Add the green onions and cider syrup mixture. Mix well. Let cool in refrigerator until needed.

Roadhouse Burger

This is the twenty second burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.

According to their website, If you’re the kind of person who orders a milkshake with a cheeseburger then has the audacity to drink it with a straw, please do us all a big favor and steer clear of The Roadhouse. Well, let me tell you, they are right!


Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• Onion rings (from our recipe here)
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
• 4 slices bacon
  
• 2 T Garlic mayonnaise (from our recipe here)
  
• 2 Hamburger buns
• 2 slices Gruyere cheese

1. Heat skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until done. Drain all but one tablespoon of the fat. Add the onions and cook until just tender. Remove and drain.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt slightly. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

3. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with sauteed onions and bacon. Add patties and onion rings. Slather top buns with garlic mayo and enjoy!

Southern Belle Burger

This is the twenty first burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. This is another outstanding burger! I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it!


Because I used our own slaw, a Delta slaw, I omitted the sliced white onions the original recipe called for. The Delta slaw is absolutely outstanding on a burger (or a grilled sausage or hot dog).

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Depends on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 1 cup cole slaw (we used our Delta slaw)
  
• 2 T BBQ sauce (we used Spice Wine Ironworks)
  
• 4 pickle spears, divided
  
• 2 slices Gruyere cheese
• 2 hamburger buns

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese and melt. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with slaw and pickles. Add patties. Slather top buns with BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Biscuits and Gravy

Anita has been requesting these for some time. I'm not sure why I kept putting them off. Believe it or not, I've only made biscuits and gravy once before, and I totally messed up the scratch biscuits. So this time, I cheated and used store-bought biscuits. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!


If you don't like a little kick, substitute mild sausage for the hot and leave out the cayenne.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage, medium or mild
• 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage, hot
• 4-6 T flour
• 4 cups milk (or more)
• Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 tube store-bought biscuits (I used Grands)

1. Preheat oven per biscuit instructions. Place biscuits on sheet pan and cook per instructions.

2. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet and cook until done over medium-high heat.

3. If needed, drain the sausage. You want a bit of grease, but if your sausage is particularly fatty, you'll want to drain it.

4. Add 4 tablespoons of flour and stir well. Add more flour if needed. You want the sausage to be well-coated.

5. Slowly add milk. You may need more or less than the 4 cups. Stir well. Add salt, pepper and cayenne and continue stirring over medium-high heat. Cook until you've achieved the desired thickness.

6. Serve over hot biscuits.

Chicken Breasts with Chive and Mustard Sauce

This sauce is fantastic. Serve with fries and green beans.


The original recipe calls for chicken breasts that have been pounded out. I prefer to butterfly mine instead. It's easier, less messy, and you still end up with meat with a consistent thickness so it cooks consistently.

The original recipe came from Michael Lomonaco, one of my favorite chefs.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded and flattened
• 2 T butter
• 3 T shallots, chopped
• 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 T Dijon mustard
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 T fresh chives, minced
• 1 t cornstarch

1. Heat butter in a saute pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown on one side, 6-8 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side and done, 6 more minutes. Remove from pan and cover with foil.

2. Add shallots to the saute pan and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Lower heat, remove pan from heat, and carefully pour in the bourbon. Make sure to lean the pan away from you in case the bourbon flames. If it does, cover with a pan lid. Return to stove and let bourbon evaporate over the low heat.

3. Add the wine to the pan, raise heat to medium high, and boil. Whisk in the mustard and reduce for 1 minute. Add the broth and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

4. Stir in the cream and bring to a low boil. Stir in the chives and cornstarch. You may need to add more cornstarch depending on how thick the sauce is, or how thick you want it.

5. Return breasts to pan and simmer, 4-5 minutes.

6. Serve breasts with sauce.

Buffalo Thigh Sliders

We loved these sliders! They reminded us of going to Buffalo Wild Wings, where we usually end up eating too much! These are great for when you have guests over to watch the big game!


If you're scared of blue cheese, just substitute Gorgonzola or if you find that too strong, just use a crumbling cheese such as queso fresco or feta.

Makes: 8 sliders
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 8 slider rolls
• Granulated garlic
• Granulated onion
• Olive oil
• 3 T butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 4 stalks celery, for garnish

1. Preheat grill to medium high. Sprinkle thighs with oil and season with granulated garlic, onion, and salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until done, about 10 minutes. Remove. Toast buns if desired.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the hot sauce. Add chicken and coat well.

3. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, blue cheese, chives and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Place chicken on slider buns and top with the sauce. Garnish with celery sticks and celery shavings.

Coach Potato Burger

This is the twentieth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. This one has everything you could possibly want on a burger!


Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes plus more depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• Handful thick cut potato chips (I used some Route 11)
• 4 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, cooked
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 T butter
• 2 T Garlic mayonnaise (see below)
• Blue cheese
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sautee until just tender. Remove.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill and cook to your desired doneness. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

3. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with mayo, onions, and chips. Add patties, followed by bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and top bun. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Makes: 1 cup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1. Place garlic in a shallow pan with oil and stir. Bake at 300 F for 30 minutes or until the garlic is soft and golden.

2. Let garlic cool to room temperature. Place in a blender along with the lemon juice and Worcestershire. Blend until smooth.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes

I had a good amount of smoked pulled pork leftover from a recent smoke. I usually use it for sandwiches, or even egg rolls, or sometimes nachos.


This time I sauced some warmed up pork and put it in a baked potato. Topped with the usual toppings.

I used to eat these all of the time at the Hog's Breath Eatery in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when I attended the University of Arkansas. Hog's Breath has a lot of good baked potatoes on the menu. My other favorites are the Terlingua (butter, chili, jalapenos, onions, cheddar cheese and sour cream) and The Works (butter, mushrooms, black olives, onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream and bacon bits).

Brooklyn Burger

RIP hunger! This is the nineteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. I love Reubens, so I love this burger!


Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 thin slices deli Corned Beef
• 1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and warmed
• 4 T Thousand Island dressing
• 4 slices thick rye bread

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill. Cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese to patties and melt. Remove. Brown bread and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, top bottom breads with corned beef and kraut. Add patties with cheese. Slather top breads with dressing, assemble and enjoy!

Pulled Pork Pockets

These are a great way to use up any leftover smoked pulled pork you have on hand. I usually have a freezer full, so this recipe came in real handy.


I followed the original recipe from Patio Daddio. Next time, I think I'll add a little cheddar, or maybe chopped onion.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large can canned biscuits
  
• 3 cups pulled pork, chopped
• 1 egg white
• 1 t water
• BBQ rub (I used Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust)
• Chili powder, for dusting
• BBQ sauce, for dipping (I used Russ & Franks Sassy)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place egg white in a small bowl or cup and add water. Whisk together with a fork.

3. Roll out the biscuits to 6" rounds on a lightly floured surface. Dividing the pork evenly between the biscuits, place the pork on one side of each round. Dust with a bit of the BBQ rub.

4. Roll the biscuit over and seal the pulled pork inside. Pinch the edges and seal by using a fork.

5. Place pockets on a sheet pan. Brush tops with the egg and water mixture and dust with chili powder. Cut a small slit in the top of each.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until browned.

7. Serve with BBQ sauce for dipping.

Sheboygan Burger

This is the eighteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. It's insanely good. Bratwurst on a burger? Yes!


Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes plus more depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 2 Bratwurst
• 1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
  
• 2 T beer mustard
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 T butter
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 2 buns

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sautee until just tender. Remove.

2. Add sauerkraut to skillet and warm. Remove.

3. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Place on grill along with the bratwurst. Cook to your desired doneness. Add cheese to patties and melt. Remove. Brown buns and remove.

4. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with onions and kraut. Add patties. Split bratwurst and put on top of the patties. Slather top buns with mustard and place on burgers. Enjoy!

Mummy Dogs

These were fun to make, and even more fun to eat!

Super easy, too!

Makes: 5-10 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 13-17 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz tube Crescent Roll dough
• 10 hot dogs
• Poppy seeds
• Mustard and ketchup
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Unroll dough and pinch perforations together to form 4 rectangles. Using a pizza cutter, cut each rectangle into 10 strips. You'll end up with 40 strips total.

3. Wrap the strips around the hot dogs, using 4 strips per hot dog, making them look like mummy wrappings. Leave a gap at the top for the face.

4. Place hot dogs on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 13-17 minutes or until browned.

5. Make eyes on the faces using mustard. Place a single poppy seed in the center of the eyes. Serve with mustard and ketchup.

Halloween 2010 Pumpkins

We just finished up carving our pumpkins for Halloween. I decided to try something new and free-hand mine. I also tried (for the first time) chiseling the eyes and teeth.


I think it came out fairly well.

Anita did this awesome owl.


Here they are in the dark!


And of course, we are roasting the seeds. We'll toss them in some Cajun Power Creole Seasoning... they won't last long!

Happy Halloween!

Camelot Burger

This is the seventeenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society and it was a big hit. A really big hit.


I didn't have Camembert cheese on hand, so I ended up using fontina, which is one of my favorites for burgers. I also didn't have any good tomato around, so I omitted it.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes plus more depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 6 slices Camembert cheese
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T Dijon mayonnaise (see below)
  
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
• 4 slices, thick cut bacon
• 2 Hamburger buns
• 2 slices tomato
  

1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until done. Remove and drain. Remove all but 1/2 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and reserve.

2. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until just tender. Remove.

3. Add 1/2 tablespoon of reserved bacon drippings to skillet and add onions. Cook until just tender. Remove.

4. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Brown buns and remove.

5. To assemble burgers, place bacon, onions, and tomato on bottom buns. Add patties and mushrooms. Slather top buns with Dijon mayonnaise and assemble. Enjoy!

Dijon Mayonnaise:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 T Dijon mustard
2 T fresh dill, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Smoked Bologona

I've read about smoked bologna for a long time, and I finally up and did it. And I have to say, it came out really good!

I bought a 5 pound roll of bologna at Sam's Club. I rubbed it down with Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust.


I scored the roll around the ends and sides. It was more challenging than I thought!


Then, it went onto the smoker at 225 F for 4 hours. I pulled it off and sliced it thick. I froze some for later, but most of it went for making our favorite bologna sandwiches:

New School Bologna Sandwich

Grilled Bologna Sandwich

Hot Dog Stroganoff

I know. You're thinking ... what?


Well, once you're done laughing, make these and you'll see. They're actually really good! I changed the original recipe because the sauce came out too thin the first time I made it.

Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter
• 6 hot dogs cut into slices
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup water
  
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Cooked noodles, drained

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and hot dogs. Cook until the onions and hot dogs are browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the sour cream and water and stir. Heat.

3. Serve over noodles and sprinkle with parsley.

Havana Burger

This is the sixteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.


I didn't have roasted pork shoulder on hand. It would've been a nice addition, but this burger still came out tasting great.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes plus more depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
  
• 4 slices thick deli ham
• 4 slices thick roasted pork shoulder
• Dill pickles
• Mustard
• 4 slices thick bread
• 2 T butter, softened
  

1. Spread butter on one side of each of the bread slices. Heat a skillet to medium high. Add bread and brown slightly. Press down using another skillet or a flat-bottomed pan to flatten the bread slices. Remove.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with Swiss.

3. To assemble burgers, top slices of bread with ham, pickles, and pork. Add patties. Spread mustard on remaining slices of bread to complete the sandwich. Enjoy!

Handyman Burger

This is the fifteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. It's hard to believe that we are halfway through making all 30 of their awesome burgers!


This bad boy is smothered in cheesy goodness on top of sauteed onions (we used French fried onions) and bacon. And what's that on top? Yes, it's an olive!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes plus more depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked
• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• Pickles
• French fried onions (see below)
  
• 2 Hamburger buns
• 2 olives
• 2 slices Cheddar cheese
• 2 slices Swiss cheese

1. Cook bacon in skillet until done. Remove and drain.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheddar and Swiss. Toast buns and remove.

3. To assemble burgers, place bacon and onions on bottom buns. Add patties, pickles, ketchup and mayo. Add top bun and garnish with olive and serve.

French Fried Onions:

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, sliced very thin
• 1 cup buttermilk (can use regular milk too)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper or more, to taste
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish. Add onions and let marinate for about an hour.

2. Heat oil to 375 F.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a shallow dish or pie plate. Working in batches, remove onions from buttermilk, shake off excess, then roll in flour mixture. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain.

Candy Corn Ice Cream

This is the easiest, best ice cream recipe we've ever made. It's soooooo tasty! And it's fun!


I found the original recipe at the We Are Not Martha blog. They have great step-by-step photos if you need help making this, but it's really quite easy to do.

Makes: 1 1/2 quarts
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook/freeze time: 6 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 20 oz container candy corn

1. Place 1 1/2 cups of the cream and about 16 oz of the candy corn in a non-stick sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring often, let the candy melt. The mixture will turn a light orange color.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and let come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the remaining cream and milk and stir. Place in a plastic container and place in freezer until almost frozen, about 3-4 hours.

4. Take 2 ounces of the remaining candy corn and chop. We found that you want fairly small pieces.

5. Add melted mixture to your ice cream maker and turn on per manufacturer's instructions. Add in the chopped candy mixture.Our maker, which usually takes 20 minutes, only needed 10 to get the ice cream to the desired consistency. Remove to a container and freeze until set, 2-3 hours.

6. Serve and top with some of the remaining candies.

Farmer John Burger

This is the fourteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. As their site says, this isn't for the guy who makes spreadsheets for a living.


No offense meant to anyone that does make spreadsheets for a living.

Once you start eating this burger you won't want to put it down. Who would've thought that French toast works so well as a hamburger bun?

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and drained
• 6 onion rings (I used the recipe here)
• 2 hash browns, cooked
• 4 slices thick bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Cooking spray

1. To make the French toast buns, combine the milk and eggs in a shallow bowl and beat with a fork. Heat frying pan over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick spray (away from the heat). Dip bread in mixture and cover both sides completely. Cook both sides until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheeses.

3. To assemble burgers, top slices of the French toast with bacon. Add the burger patties, hash browns, and onion rings. Top off with last of the French toast and enjoy!

Apple-Cinnamon Fattie

Dessert fatties are fast becoming our favorite. And this one definitely ranks near the top.


Don't skimp on the syrup. Good Grade A syrup takes this fattie over the edge!

Makes: 1 fattie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bulk sausage
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 2 T Grade A maple syrup
  

1. Roll out the sausage per our basic fattie procedure.

2. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add more sugar or cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle over the flattened sausage. Add the apple. Roll and smoke at 225 F for 3 hours.

3. After letting the fattie rest for 15 minutes, slice, plate, and drizzle with maple syrup.

Franks-and-Beans Fattie

My long-time friend Erich came up with this great idea for a fattie. He nailed this one big time!


Start with our basic fattie, and top it with chopped grilled hot dogs and Bush's baked beans (Erich maxed this out by using the Bourbon and Brown Sugar beans!). Smoke it for about 3 hours, slice, and top with more beans! Yummy!

Makes: 1 fattie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bulk sausage
• 2 hot dogs, grilled, chopped
• 1 cup Bush's baked beans, divided

1. Roll out the sausage per our basic fattie procedure.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the beans out over the sausage. Top with hot dogs.

3. Roll up, seal, and smoke at 225 F for 3 hours.

4. Let rest 15 minutes, then slice thin. Top with more beans (warm them first).

Lobster and Mango Salad

When mangoes are in season, this is a real favorite of ours.


Light and vibrant, this is a great summer salad. I took the original recipe and modified it just a little bit. If you don't have fresh lobster tail to cook for this salad, you can substitute already cooked lobster, or even crab meat.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large orange
• 1 lobster tail, cooked, shelled, and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1 mango, peeled, and diced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups fresh greens
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large lime, juiced

1. Peel and slice the orange over a small bowl. Places the slices in a large bowl, letting the juices drip into the small bowl while slicing.

2. In the bowl containing the juice, whisk in the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to task. Set aside.

3. In the large bowl, add the lobster, avocado, green onions, and mango. Add dressing mixture and gently stir.

4. Arrange greens on two plates. Top with fruit mixture. Serve.

The Highwayman Burger

This is the thirteenth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. This is a seriously good burger, and not for the faint-of-heart. Onion rings. Egg. Ham. BBQ sauce. Now, that's good eats!


I made the onion rings from scratch using the recipe at the bottom of this post for the Honky Tonk burger.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 slices deli ham
• 2 eggs, fried
• 6-8 onion rings, warmed (see this recipe)
  
• 4 T BBQ sauce
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheese. Toast buns and remove. Grill ham for just a moment, long enough to warm and get a few grill marks. Remove.

2. To assemble, slather bottom buns with 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce each. Top with egg, ham, and patties. Add onion rings. Slather top buns with remaining BBQ sauce and dig in!

Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad

This is a wonderful end-of-summer salad. But, make sure you finish it the day you make it as it doesn't keep very well overnight.


The original recipe came from Giada De Laurentiis.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 2 cucumbers, sliced thin
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 T fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 of a large lemon)
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 t lemon zest

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook 1-2 minutes or until bright green. Remove from heat, drain and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Drain and place in serving bowl.

2. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, and dill.

3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until smooth. Season and pour over salad. Mix gently until coated. Serve.

Rhinelander Burger

This is the twelfth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. I had to make some substitutions, but this burger really came out nicely.


The original recipe calls for butterkase cheese. I substituted fontina. Fontina cheese on a burger is really, really good. It's a great melting cheese.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 1/4 head lettuce, shredded
• 2 slices butterkase cheese
• 1/2 white onion, sliced
• 1 T butter
• 4 slices deli ham
• 2 T beer mustard
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Saute the onions until tender. Remove from heat.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheese. Toast buns and remove. Warm the ham on the grill and remove.

3. Top bottom buns with lettuce, onion, and beef patties. Top with ham, slather top buns with mustard, assemble and enjoy!

Crostini with Mascarpone and Balsamic Glaze

This bread is really outstanding. The balsamic glaze is really, really delicious.


I didn't have Italian or French bread on hand like the original recipe from Bobby Flay specifies, so I substituted fresh made sourdough instead. A baguette would work equally well.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into 1/4" thick slices
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 2 T honey
• Olive oil

1. Place balsamic vinegar and honey into a non-reactive pan and reduce to a glaze under medium-high heat, stirring often.

2. Preheat grill to high.

3. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and place on grill. Add bread and green onions to grill also. Grill tomatoes and onions until slightly charred. Remove and chop tomatoes into halves. Remove onions and cut into 1" long pieces.

4. Remove bread from grill and spread with mascarpone. Season and place back on grill over indirect heat to warm the cheese. Remove to a platter.

5. Top bread with tomatoes and onions and drizzle with the balsamic glaze and season to taste. Serve.

Miss Daisy Burger

This is the eleventh burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society. And I have to admit, I was pretty pessimistic about this one until I took that first bite.


Spinach? Apple butter? Brie? Yes, it actually works and works GREAT! That's the last time I doubt the Cheese and Burger Society's burgers!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 6 slices Brie cheese
• 8 large fresh spinach leaves
• 2 T apple butter
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Toast buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with Dijon and spinach. Add burger patties and cheese. Slather top bun with apple butter and finish assembling the burger. Enjoy!

Creole Crab Salad Stuffed Avocados

This is a nice recipe. With a little kick.


I admit, I could not find any real crab, so I had to use the fake stuff. I need to make a point of getting crabs next time they are on sale and freezing them so I always have crabmeat on hand.

Good inside tomatoes too!


I got the idea for this from the June 2010 Louisiana Cookin' magazine. Lots of great things in that magazine.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour (chill time)

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados, pitted and halved
• 1/2 bunch green onions, minced
• 3 T capers
• 1/3 cup spicy mayo (or mix 1/3 cup regular mayo with Tabasco)
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients except the avocado. Chill for 1 hour. Spoon into avocados and serve.

Jersey's Cafe, Carmel IN

Well, I figured we'd better head over to Jersey's Cafe and see what all the hoopla was about. Jersey's is going to be on an upcoming Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. They start filming next week.


Jersey's is located in a strip mall in Carmel, Indiana. It's a quaint little cafe. Their menu is extensive, to say the least. I'm usually not a fan of huge menus (and by huge I mean there must be over 100 items), but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was outstanding. I had the Reuben sandwich, and Anita had the Edison, a hoagie with turkey, olive tapenade and provolone. Anita also really, really loved the giant decaf iced tea. Our meals were very good, but they did take a while to get, so don't be in a hurry when you go.

So when you're in the area, swing by Jersey's. You'll be glad you did. We can't wait to return and try some of the other items on their menu!

Honky Tonk Burger

Oh yeah! Now THIS is a good burger! Another great one from the Cheese & Burger Society.



This is the tenth burger we've made from the website. We try to match the ingredients as best we can, but sometimes they are hard to find. Feel free to substitute what you have on hand. You'll still end up with great tasting burgers.

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 4 slices brick cheese (we ended up using Fontina)
• 4 T BBQ sauce (we used Spicewine Ironworks)
• 4 slices thick-cut peppered bacon
• 4 large onion rings (see below)
• 1/4 head lettuce, shredded
• Mayonnaise
• 2 Hamburger buns

1. Cook bacon to desired doneness. If you aren't using peppered bacon, just sprinkle with a few turns of fresh-cracked black pepper.

2. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheeses. Toast buns and remove.

3. To assemble burgers, slather bottom buns with mayonnaise. Add lettuce and onion rings. Top with patties and bacon. Slather top buns with BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Onion Rings

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced thick
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour, plus 1/2 cup
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t baking powder

1. Preheat a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 F.

2. Mix egg, 1/4 cup oil, and milk in a large bowl.

3. Add 1 cup flour, the salt and baking powder and mix well until a batter forms.

4. Coat onions in remaining flour. Dip into batter then fry in batches until golden brown.

Corn Fritters

These corn fritters from A Food Coma are awesome! I used some corn from My Dad's Sweet Corn that I had frozen at the height of this year's crop.


Don't skimp on the Sriracha sauce. It's got a kick, but it's not overwhelming.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 egg, beaten lightly
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 T oil, for frying
• Sriracha sauce
• Sour cream

1. Mix corn, pepper and onions in a bowl.

2. Add the zest, cumin, and cayenne.

3. Add egg and stir well.

4. Slowly add the flour (you may not need it all), stirring as you go. Continue adding flour until the mixture becomes thick, like a pancake batter.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Spoon batter into skillet to form small patties. Fry until you notice them browning along the edges, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels.

6. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and Sriracha sauce.

Crusty Black Bean Chorizo Subs

We were very pleasantly surprised when we had these. These subs have great flavor. I found the original recipe in the December 2005 issue of Chile Pepper magazine.


Don't forget the Cholula hot sauce!

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 mini-sub rolls
• 8 oz Mexican chorizo
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 oz queso fresco or other melting cheese
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
• Hot sauce (recommend Cholula)

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo, crumble, and cook until browned.

2. Add the oil and the beans to the skillet. Once they simmer, mash with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to form a paste. Cook until beans are thick, like mashed potatoes, about 10 minutes.

3. Season with salt and reduce heat.

4. Brown rolls. Top each with bean mix, cheese, avocado and hot sauce. Serve.

Isabella Burger

This is the ninth burger we've made from the Cheese and Burger Society.


I've never had a burger with refried beans on it until now. I will again, that's for sure. This is one of my favorites. Everything on it screams flavor!

Makes: 2 burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Varies depending on desired doneness
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh ground beef (recommend 75/25 or 80/20)
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 4 slices red onion
• 2 slices tomato
• 1/2 cup refried beans, warmed slightly
• Pickled jalapeños, to taste
• 2 hamburger buns
• 1 small avocado, pitted and sliced
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• 2 slices Monterrey jack cheese

1. Form beef into 2 patties and season. Grill until cooked to your desired doneness. Top patties with cheeses. Toast buns and remove.

2. To assemble burgers, top bottom buns with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and jalapeños. Add buns, refried beans, and top buns. Enjoy!